Thanks to those who took the time to review! I'm really happy to get this chapter out so soon, and will begin work on the next one shortly. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Having rudimentary Records meant, as Kaylin quickly learned, that they were not coded the way the ones she usually worked with were. Which meant they were stuck watching the landing pad going backwards in time from the time of the attack as they tried to spot someone carrying a large mirror into the Aerie. They quickly learned to identify the guards' weapons and the unusual ways Aerian wings could cast shadows.
"There's got to be a better way of doing this," Kaylin muttered, her eyes blearily glued to the mirror. She wasn't sure how many hours they'd spent watching the Aerians walk backwards, but even one was one too many. Her familiar apparently agreed as he was actually snoring.
"Not a single stabbing," Tain drawled. "Even accepting that boredom is inevitable, this seems a tad excessive." Kaylin snorted. Only a damn Baranni would think of a lack of violence as a problem.
"Lord Kaylin," Andellen said.
"Yes," she replied, not taking her eyes off the mirror. It would just figure if the moment she looked away was the one moment she needed to see.
"I believe that you are due shortly at the Castle for further instruction in ballroom dancing with my lord." Kaylin made a face, but compared to watching this, that almost sounded like a good thing.
"I have some things to attend to, as well," Teela commented, which was apparently a cue for everyone to break up. "Halt Records," she commanded, getting to her feet. "We'll meet you here tomorrow, Kitling." Bellusdeo headed to the palace - evidently she had her own dance classes to attend and she was surprisingly gold-eyed about it. Kaylin made a note to ask her about it later. Teela and Tain headed in exactly the wrong direction when they stepped out, which meant that Teela was headed to the High Court. Kaylin grimaced, but kept the words to herself. Andellen walked beside Kaylin in silence, and Kaylin found it odd how easily he fit in. Having one of the fieflord's top people working with the Hawks on a case was almost uncanny.
"Thanks for your help today," Kaylin eventually said as they crossed over they Albayne. This earned her a glance.
"I am here to assist you, Lord Kaylin," he replied seriously. "Although from what I heard about your dancing from Lord An'Teela, I am now concerned about the safety of my own lord." Kaylin spluttered next to him.
"That was years ago," she told him, before reminding herself that to any Baranni, her whole damn life was a matter of just a few years. His very green eyes met hers and she realized that he was almost smiling. The warmth slid off his face moments before the sounds of a fight reached Kaylin's ears.
"Forgive me, Lord Kaylin," he said stepping ahead of so that he was between her and any likely danger. Kaylin frowned at his back.
"If you're trying to protect me…" Kaylin began ominously. Considering the Baranni attitude towards weakness, implying she needed protection from some street toughs would be very insulting. And since all Baranni were regularly insulting, that was really saying something.
"I mean no disrespect, Lord Kaylin," he immediately assured her. "I simply do not want anyone interested in challenging my lord to gain the mistaken impression that targeting you would be wise."
"Why would they target me?" Kaylin asked, almost making Andellen stumble. Normally she took pleasure in shocking the Baranni of her acquaintance, but that was only when she did it on purpose. She had no idea what she'd done this time.
"My Lord was seen with you in public only a couple days ago," he replied as they drew up to the fight, "and while I admit to not being an expert in human behaviour, I strongly suspect that word of your relationship with him will have traveled." Kaylin found herself blushing at the way Andellen said that.
Ripples of silence spread as they arrived on the scene, until the combatants themselves noticed. Any bets changed as people pressed up against the walls of the buildings in an effort to stay as far away from her and Andellen as they could, while still watching the show. Both of the fighters had swords. Not surprising in the case of the guard, but the challenger must be well connected if he was able to get one in decent condition. The combatants disengaged and each took a few steps back. They were both injured, but Kaylin couldn't help but think of the challenger as stupid for trying to take down Nightshade. Especially if the mere sight of a Baranni caused him to back off; he wouldn't know Andellen was a power in his own right amongst the Baranni. "Is there a difficulty?" Andellen asked the bleeding guard in Elantran.
"He thinks he can take down Lord Nightshade!" The man growled angrily. It almost sounded like loyalty. Small and squawky lazily opened one eye to observe the surroundings before closing it again, apparently content to continue napping. "I've got it." At least the guard didn't ask for Andellen for help. Then again, in this part of the fief, asking for help from a Baranni against a human was an invitation for a knife in the ribs, so it made sense. Andellen went to move forward, ignoring both combatants, when the challenger opened his mouth.
"Hey," he said, glancing at Kaylin's cheek, before leering at her, "I heard that girl is Nightshade's-" Whatever he was about to call her was destined to remain unsaid as Andellen slide his sword through the man's ribs and punctured his heart. The man's eyes widened in shock as he coughed blood and collapsed on himself.
"Disrespect towards Lord Kaylin, Lord Nightshade's Erenne, will not be tolerated," Andellen announced coldly. His voice carried clearly across the street. He nodded slightly at the frozen guard; no one had had the opportunity to move given the speed his attack. "Lord Kaylin," the Baranni Lord said, turning back to her with a bow, "I do not believe we will be further interrupted." Kaylin nodded and forced herself to step past the body, reminding herself that by challenging Nightshade then man had signed his own death warrant. Insulting her had only brought it sooner. They walked in silence for a few minutes. "Did my actions offend you?" Andellen asked, apparently curious, as they got their first clear view of the Castle.
"…No," Kaylin replied.
"Then I don't understand your concern," he replied with a thoughtful frown. Kaylin glanced at him, reminded, once again, at how unusual he was. He was observing carefully. Baranni typically treated people's moods as irrelevant at best or insulting on the worst. Teela would have been despairing over Kaylin's sentimental nature if she'd been present.
"It's not very often I'm the reason someone dies," she told him quietly.
"You're not responsible for my actions, Lord Kaylin," he answered, stopping and turning to face her fully. His eyes had shaded towards blue and Kaylin cringed, knowing that her taking responsibility for someone else's actions would be insulting to any Baranni. "I took offence at his intent and dealt with the matter as I saw fit. There is nothing for you to blame yourself over." Kaylin nodded, because she knew all that.
"I know, but you would have let the guard handle it if not for me. And I didn't mean to offend you." At that Andellen shrugged.
"Does it matter? Whether he died by my hand or the guard's, he would have died today. And I am aware, Lord Kaylin. I have taken no offence." Kaylin took a deep breath and nodded.
"I know. I'm sorry." Andellen shook his head, making his hair ripple around his shoulders.
"You are a healer of legendary skill, Lord Kaylin. It is, perhaps, inevitable that you are more compassionate than those around you deserve." Kaylin tried to smile at him.
"I really don't think that's it." Before Kaylin could continue down that path - if she even wanted to - the Castle doors shimmered and Nightshade stepped through. Kaylin hated - hated - the way words died on her lips and her throat dried up as she watched him approach, the green-eyed bastard.
"Erenne," he greeted, reaching out to cup her face and brush his lips across hers. Kaylin held very still, but couldn't do anything about the blush staining her cheeks. "Lord Andellen," he added, as his liege bowed deeply, "thank you for escorting my Erenne."
"It was my honour, Lord." Nightshade simply nodded in acknowledgement, before turning and offering Kaylin his arm. Kaylin glanced at the portal, and accepted it with a sigh. Her familiar woke up enough to peer at Nightshade before settling himself back on Kaylin's shoulders. Kaylin wondered if being in his large form and flying them around had drained him.
"Before we dine," Nightshade began, which made Kaylin instantly suspicious, "I have brought tailors in to finalize your dress for the ball." Kaylin stumbled.
"What?! You've given me like a hundred dresses and somehow I need a new one for the bloody ball?" She stood, staring at him in patent disbelief.
"I've given you twenty-two dresses," he corrected cooly, his eyes taking on a hint of blue, "none of which were tailored to your body-"
"They fit perfectly!" Kaylin objected. That was one of the really disturbing things about them; that he knew her measurements, better, if she were perfectly frank, than she did.
"-and while they are appropriate for us in the Castle, none of them are suitable for an Imperial Ball." Kaylin gaped at him.
"Are you serious?" He raised a perfect brow in response.
"I am usually, as you say, serious, Kaylin."
"But they're gorgeous. What's wrong with them?" He smiled at her and steered her towards the portal.
"I wasn't aware you liked them so much." Kaylin flushed, but didn't take back her words. They were beautiful. It's just that they were also, fancy, expensive, and completely foreign to Kaylin. "I will be certain to add to their numbers, now that I'm aware." Before Kaylin could find the words to stop him, he lead her through the portal. The trip through the portal was never fun, but it was the presence of four Baranni, two men and two women, that prevented Kaylin from continuing the discussion. Nightshade led her past them, failing entirely to acknowledge them, which made Kaylin feel all kinds of awkward. If they were bothered by serving a human, it didn't show.
Of course not, Nightshade told her. I would never have servants so lacking attend you. Considering most Baranni had lived through an age where humans were nothing more than well trained pets, she considered their distain inevitable. The group of six - seven with the sleepy familiar - made it to the room Nightshade insisted on calling hers in silence where a new dress was hung. It was purple and if Kaylin rarely took the time to examine the mark on her cheek, she was nonetheless aware that the dress was exactly the same colour as the flower from the mark. She opened her mouth to object when the lace sleeves -and there were sleeves - caught her eye. There were…hawks. The lace for the sleeves was made up of delicate, soaring hawks. She absently let go of the fieflord's arm and approached the dress with near reverence.
"Thank you," she said softly, her finger hovering over the design. "It's beautiful." She tried to keep her voice even and knew she couldn't turn around because her eyes were filled with tears. Nightshade came up behind, her, shielding her from his servants' view and took her in his arms. She buried her face in his robes and fought to get control of herself, as the first tears spilled down her cheeks. She had never, ever received a gift she valued so much. With her lord's injured form so fresh in her mind, the reminder that she would always be, wherever she went, a Hawk, steadied her. Thank you, she repeated, taking a deep breath and pulling back. He cupped her cheeks and wiped the evidence of her tears from her eyes. His eyes were a dark, perfect green when he brushed his lips across hers. She didn't even want to fight it.
"You're welcome." He stepped back and motioned the servants forward.
"Lord Kaylin, please allow us to help you into your dress." Kaylin tried not to flinch at the woman's words, but she was so not a fan of standing naked in front of a handful of Baranni. It made her aware of how hopelessly imperfect she was in comparison. She swallowed.
"…right." She glanced at Nightshade, hoping he'd leave, but he simply raised a brow and took a seat in the corner to observe the proceedings. A poke at her familiar had him rising from her shoulder and gliding to curl up on the bed - after he bit her finger in retaliation. Telling herself that the faster she did this, the father it was over, Kaylin stripped out of the new clothes Nightshade had provided and reached for the dress. Flawless Baranni hands got there first.
"You'll need to wear these undergarments," the Baranni woman said.
"You're joking," Kaylin objected, before wincing. "Dammit. I can't just call you you, what would you like me to call you?"
"…Lenora."
"Alright, Lenora," Kaylin said with forced patience, "you're telling me that I can't wear my own underwear with the dress?" She nodded, cautiously blue-eyed. "Why the hells not?"
"The undergarments we have will not show the seams."
"And mine will," Kaylin surmised. It figured that there was a catch to a dress this beautiful. The woman simply nodded again. Kaylin took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She'd fought Shadows and bloody Dragons, she could put on a damn dress.
"Alright."
It took two of the Baranni assistants and a lot of wiggling to get it on. Kaylin couldn't help but feel terribly exposed with the low neckline, but a stern look from Nightshade had her forcing her hands to her sides. She focused on her sleeves, instead. She was terrified she was going to damage the damn thing. Once on, however, Kaylin had perfect freedom of movement; at Nightshade's insistence, she did a flip, just to check.
"Do you think I'll need to fight?" She asked him. He smiled cooly at her.
"Given your incomparable ability to find danger in otherwise innocuous situations, it seems a distinct possibility." Kaylin gaped at him.
"That's not my fault! These things just happen!" A fine brow rose.
"These things do not 'just happen' to others, therefore, when the common element is you, it is reasonable to assume it is, in fact, your fault." Kaylin was left spluttering. There was absolutely no way the recent chaos had been her fault. "I did not, however, suggest that you test the dress for that purpose. If you are overly concerned about the dress, any effort I put into instructing you in dance will be wasted."
"…I've told you that I don't have the best track record with clothes, right?" Nightshade shrugged.
"They are clothes, Kaylin. Their loss or preservation means little to me." Tracing her fingers across the hawks on her sleeves, she spoke softly.
"It would mean something to me."
"Ah," he replied. "That is a different issue." When neither of them said any more, Lenora stepped forward again.
"With your permission, Lord Kaylin, we will now begin the final measurements." Kaylin thought her permission was pretty much irrelevant considering they worked for Nightshade and he was sitting in the damn room, but nodded anyway. It was only as they gracefully moved around her, touching her gently, and rearranging the fall of the fabric that Kaylin remembered she was wearing a deadly Elemental necklace. It was a miracle no one had touched it.
"Be careful not to touch my necklace," Kaylin warned, earning four Baranni stares.
"We would never recklessly touch an object so obviously magical in nature," Lenora replied, making Kaylin grimace. A glance at Nightshade earned her an amused smile.
"Of course you wouldn't," Kaylin said dejectedly. She ran her fingers along the stones representing each of the Elements. "Nightshade," she said, "can we find some way to hide the necklace?"
"The deep v-neck suits you," he told her, before she could even suggest raising the front to cover it, "I think a scarf would be acceptable, if you insist on covering the Keeper's gift."
"Why wouldn't I?" Kaylin asked. He raised a brow.
"Being able to wear that necklace marks you as a power who happens to be in the Keeper's favour. Anyone of note at the ball would pay attention to you." Kaylin nearly shuddered.
"We need a scarf," she told Lenora firmly, who simply nodded.
"Yes, Lord Kaylin."